Paired
by YourUsualDramione
Summary: Draco and Hermione both develop some unanswered questions and alien feelings for each other after their drunken passionate night together, they try to not face those questions but what happens when they are both paired together for a project and face the inevitable? Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys so this is my one-shot Paired I hope you like it and also its my first time writing smut. And I do not own any of the characters in this story these characters belong to J.K. Rowlling.

* * *

15 days. Exact 15 days. The occasional exchange of glances has lessened and Hermione fears that he has forgotten, forgotten of that passionate night because she was way past forgetting the way his cold lips felt so soft against hers. Somehow she can smell him everywhere even when he is not near her and the smell was way too beguiling and way too distracting, at first she could handle it but now when they're so far away it's annoying as fuck. Her friends knew that something was wrong but they dared say anything because the witch's temper was at its edge although they had no idea why.

Out of nowhere, Hermione heard a ringing voice in her head, after 20 seconds of sheer limbo, she realized that the stealthy voice belonged to McGonagall. Hermione landed back on Earth and heard McGonagall's angry voice say, 'Do we have the sweet pleasure of your mental presence today, Ms. Granger'

Hermione was absolutely embarrassed she looked at McGonagall's sardonic- but- serious face and realized that she needs to say something, she stuttered and tried to speak while ignoring the furious face, 'I – I um – am so- sorry'

McGonagall snapped, '10 points from Gryffindor'

The Slytherins present in the room sniggered and Hermione felt the need to see if one of those sons of the bitches included Malfoy she knew it was a bad idea but since when did Gryffindors become rational.

She deliberately looked back carefully searching for a set of gorgeous green eyes and she found it, leaning behind his desk looking at Blaise, grinning wide, a burst of anger welled up inside her and she looked away furiously, she regretted looking back but she still didn't regret sleeping with him it was the best thing that had happened to Hermione ever, he touched her as no one had before and to be honest she didn't want to be touched by anyone like that except him and she didn't want him to touch anyone like that but her. A month before she would have slapped herself at thought of touching Malfoy or anyone but now when she knows how it feels like she just can't wait, it wasn't like how she thought it would it be or how she had read about it, it didn't feel like heavens colliding at her feet it was rather painful, painful but pleasurable, and when he kissed her on neck the feeling was irrevocable, she couldn't believe the things your body can make you feel, the things he made her feel. Shit, she could already feel her panties moisten up.

Draco stares at Hermione's hair, layered and pulled up in a bun, she wore a loose shirt and a skirt that ended just below her knees he wished that he sat in front to watch her beautiful face and what lay beneath her loose shirt. He wasn't able to believe how just 3 years before those perfect strands of hair looked like a bird's nest and how she herself has become so fucking hot. He knew that it was her first time but Draco could see the need in her blazing eyes he knew that she wanted him and she knew that he wanted her too although they both failed royally at telling each other. Draco had fucked many girls before but Hermione was something else she didn't know shit about what they were doing still she wanted to take charge and the collision of her innocence and wildness was maddening, she was better than anything and anyone that he had experienced before, Draco loved the way she moaned it was so needy and arousing Draco could feel himself hardening under the desk and thought maybe sitting at the back wasn't that bad idea after all.

As much distracted Hermione already was she still tried to pay attention to McGonagall.

McGonagall said or at least Hermione heard her say, 'for the next paper due the students will have to work in pair, don't get so excited ' McGonagall said shooting a glare at Neville's pale but hopeful face 'the pairs will be chosen by me and they will be from different houses'

She could see many faces scowling most of the faces belonged to Slytherin and Gryffindor, Hermione could imagine Draco scowling too.

McGonagall announced, 'Ravenclaw will be paired with Hufflepuff and Slytherin will be paired with Gryffindor'

Draco went frozen on his seat not at the thought of pairing with Gryffindor but at the thought of paring with her, what if McGonagall paired him with Granger McGonagall had always been rather unpleasant with him always.

McGonagall promulgated the pairs of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff now it was time for Slytherin and Gryffindor, 'Ginerva Weasley with Milicent Bulstrode, Harry Potter with Vincent Crabbe, Dean Thomas with Greogory Goyle, Ronald Weasley with Theodore Nott, Neville Longbottom with Pansy Parkinson, Hermione Granger with Draco Malfoy, Parvati Patel with Bl_ _ _ _ _ _ _ '

Hermione's heart shuddered, the list continued but currently Hermione's brain was over analyzing every possible way this situation can go and every way seemed to end quarrelsome but she didn't care until Malfoy wanted to pair with her, again knowing that it was a bad idea Hermione turned to look at him and surprisingly he wasn't scowling or rather he looked like himself - snug and a little satisfied, Hermione quickly felt a heavy weight lift off of her she smiled at herself and turned away.

At first Draco was dubious he failed to comprehend how would they discuss a sodding paper without the mention of the night but later on he thought did he actually want her to forget about the night or ignore it, no he'd never want that, perhaps we could actually talk about it, perhaps this godforsaken project isn't that godforsaken, perhaps, he thought to himself.

McGonagall said, 'I will be expecting this paper 3 weeks from now, every transfiguration period will be provided to you as a time for making this paper and the time given is absolutely for making this project and not for any of your leisure activities and if this project leads to futile conflicts I can assure you that in the next transfiguration period it'll be you who's turning into a rat, not the glass, there is still 2 hours left so the pairs shall start their projects you can head anywhere they want.'

Hermione built up a shred of courage and walked up to him good for her he was already halfway to her bench.

He smiled at her awkwardly and said, 'hey'

Hermione replied, 'hello'

He asked constantly messing with his perfect hair, 'where should we go?'

Hermione said, 'Maybe the great hall or we could just…..'

Draco said cutting her in between, 'or we could go to the black lake' Hermione didn't say anything, Draco said, assuming she didn't like the idea, 'or not'

Hermione thought about it, it was a nice idea, a place where no one would be able to hear them if things went a little overhead, they both knew that there isn't a world Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy wouldn't fight.

She said smiling at him, 'it's actually perfect; I'm going to get my things'

'Yeah, me too'

After 15 minutes of walking, they finally reached the lake, Draco practically threw his bag and lay down and stared at the wind grazing his body, Hermione shivered it was getting a little cold.

She lay down beside him. After 2 or 3 minutes of what seemed like profound rather than awkward silence Hermione blurted out of nowhere, 'did you like it' Hermione instantly blushed and regretted saying it, _WHY DO I HAVE TO BE SO STRAIGHT FORWARD_, she yelled at herself and looked away although she was already looking away

Draco chuckled, 'like what?'

Hermione quickly said, 'never mind, can we focus on the project here?'

Draco was not letting it go this time, 'absolutely not, now answer me like what?'

Hermione said almost in a whisper, 'you know what I mean, don't fuck with me'

Draco smirked and said, 'I kind of did already'

Hermione was absolutely stunned and embarrassed she gasped and said to him hastily, 'I think we can continue this later I'm really tired' her subconscious was screaming at her for being so damn glib and not throwing a comeback but she was way past that.

As soon as she started to get up his hand grabbed her wrist and in a matter of seconds she was on his lap, he smashed his lips against her, at first Hermione was a little disheveled but she caught up and met her lips with him, savoring every second of it, he tasted like mint bubble gum and green apples and smelled like ocean and perfectly Draco. She could get used to this so fucking easily.

Draco was out of breath he had never kissed anyone like this before, SO WILD, he pulled away from the kiss and panted heavily and after managing a breath smirked widely and said, 'I did like it, Granger, I really did'

Hermione beamed and said grinning, 'we really do need to concentrate on the paper.'

Hermione lays down a list of references they can take help with for their paper and Draco keeps busy at staring her while working on the paper.

Hermione said, totally agitated, 'you know you too can help me with the paper'

Draco grinned and said, 'I prefer to watch you aggravate yourself on this paper and still look so damn sexy'

Hermione blushes and shakes her head to show her fake annoyance

Draco chuckles, 'oh don't act like this I know that you're enjoying doing this paper all by yourself and I don't leave the opportunity to get the credit of the good work I didn't do'

Hermione says loftily, 'that you do but don't kid yourself by thinking that McGonagall won't know that you didn't give squat to this paper after reading this'

Draco gives in and says, 'That's true maybe I should pretend to care'

Hermione nods in understanding actually mocking him, 'maybe you should'

After 45 minutes of actually working on the paper Draco stretches his arm wide and yawns and Hermione is again mesmerized by him,fa_ how can he look so gorgeous even in_ _fatigue_, she thinks to herself, she again with her usual habit of not thinking without speaking despite having a fully functional brain blurts out, 'did you mean it when you said you liked um I mean you know it?'

Draco says teasing her, 'After all that stuttering you finally settle on an 'it''

Hermione says, 'Oh come on just answer the damn question'

Draco says, 'yes I did, why can't you believe me, Granger'

'Well, you've slept with like god knows how many women and well I am falling behind a little bit, you know _statistically_'

Draco gets close to her, too close and whispers in her ears, 'It doesn't matter how many women I've slept with the only women I care about out of all of them _statistically_ is 1 and that is you'

The words felt like honey to her ear his soft breath tingled her neck and she loved the sensation, Hermione had been called beautiful, attractive, hell she even got some proposals from her muggle friends but not any of those words or proposals actually felt as pure as his words not any of them actually were true and more importantly not any of them actually meant something to her as this declaration of …. she wasn't able to make out what kind of declaration this was but also she didn't give a thought to any of this because as soon as the words crept out of his mouth she just grabbed his shirt collar and shifted his face to her and kissed him passionately, measuring his bottom lip with her tongue, Draco without losing a second lifted her chin and kissed her neck furiously which he knows will drive her mad, she moaned slightly and Draco became desperate to hear the sound once again, he reached for her shirt and started unbuttoning as Hermione started to unbutton his unclasped her bra and tossed it aside and laid her down he clumsily reached for the foil packet in his pants and found it.

Hermione watched as he put the condom on and started to get nervous she knew that she wanted no needed this but she doubted if it's the right thing to do, it's as if he sensed her nervousness that he bent down towards her chest and started to leave a trail of soft and velvety kisses on her bare and flawless chest and she couldn't help but escape out another moan from her mouth and she knew the instant that she just doesn't care if it's right or wrong she just needed this, needed him, she rapidly dug her finger behind his bare back and tightened her legs around his waist, Draco noticed the wildness in her eyes and sweetly complimented, 'Ooo, getting feisty, Granger' and gently thrust himself into her and Hermione hissed and Draco continued.

Hermione gets less and less patient and wait for him to increase the pace she knows he won't until she tells her too he likes teasing her way too much she finally gives in and begs, 'please'

Draco continues to tease and smirks discreetly, 'please what, Granger'

Hermione whines, 'Faster'

Draco smirks again not being discreet this time, 'my pleasure'

He waits no more and lunges into her forcefully and Hermione half screams, 'DR-' and bites her palm to avoid screaming the other half of his name but Draco gently pushes her hand aside and says, 'I want you to scream my name as loud as you want '

The weight of him and his words reaches to her belly to her navel and just then he latches on to her harder than ever and now even the palm wasn't to keep her from screaming, she screams, 'FUCK, DRACO' and she withdraws both of her hands from his nail-dug slightly assaulted back and tugs his hair with one hand and digs her another hand on the grassy field to balance herself.

As Hermione continues to scream Draco cannot help but open his eyes and look at her while screaming she looks fucking breathtaking, her tears and sweat glistening down her cheek not from the heat not brought from the weather but from the friction between them and with the growing thrusts Draco starts to build up knowing that Hermione is too. Hermione lifts her body up for feeling the end of his inexplicable luscious and heavenly torture and to finally feel solace. She tugs his hair barbarically and that's it for him he propels into her one last time and they both come at the same time. Draco falls down on Hermione's chest feeling spent and Hermione pants heavily and starts to wonder how does a project leads to _this_, she doesn't know the answer to this but she does know one thing that it'll only happen with _him_.

Draco when finally became capable of letting out some words looks into her golden-brown eyes said, 'I really like you, Granger'

Hermione hears this and feels like every time he has ever said something mean to her or had made her cry is forgiven, she grins sheepishly and says, 'I really like you too, Malfoy'.

* * *

A/N : I hope you enjoyed it. Comment if you wish to please.


	2. Chapter 2 : A Trip To Hogsmeade

**A/N : Hey guys, I know that my first fanfiction Twisted Perfection was withdrew by me but I don't think I'll be leaving this one because I have decided on major parts of Paired the updates maybe slow, I hope you like it.**

**All the characters in the story belong to J.K. Rowling, to whom it should.**

**NightLover123, you are a great person, thanks for helping me on this chapter. **

* * *

Chapter - 2 : A Trip To Hogsmeade

Draco's POV:

Fucking Hell

How did I let myself get into this shit? HOW?

I knew from the first time we slept together that she was toxic for me and I let myself believe that I can avoid her and hell I was doing a great job at it, I mean 15 days is a long time but that damn McGonagall just can't let it go, can she?

I know that I want to be with her and to deny it would be a total waste of time because I goddamn said it to her and she said it back too. She drives me crazy, the way she gets lost while reading a book even a boring one, the way her hair fall in front of her eyes and she refuses to tuck them back makes we want to tuck them behind her ears myself, the way her cheeks flush when I compliment her. Damn I am going crazy.

I shouldn't have slept with her in the first place. My father would kill me and then himself get killed by the Dark Lord for my nonchalance. How can I indulge myself in this crap when I've got to complete the major task given to me by the Dark Lord, my mother tried to convince me this summer that this was an honour, to be at the side of the Dark Lord but I know better she's trying to hide the truth from me, that if I fail this task if I fail him then I along with mother and father will be killed, this is a punishment, a punishment for our whole family for what my father failed to do last year.

I have to stop somehow I have to ignore the fact that even her scent makes me forget about the Dark Lord and his impossible task, I have to stop myself from wanting her. I_ have _to_._

* * *

Hermione's POV:

Draco goddamn Malfoy

I slept with Draco goddamn Malfoy.

Again

Only this time it wasn't a drunken mistake. How much of a shit bag can I be, I know that it was the best thing that I have ever experienced but it shouldn't be.

I have never felt so allured to someone like this my entire life and it scares me to shit that that someone is Draco Malfoy. The boy who mocked me of my blood, the boy who has made me cry multiple times. In a perfect world this someone would be someone like Ron, who I have cared about since the time he and Harry saved my life in the bathroom but suddenly those feelings seem to be mortified and overpowered by my attraction to Malfoy.

The way my body ignites with his single touch, the way his filthy words sends a shiver down my spine, the way his grey eyes stare into mine and make me feel special, the way his presence intimidates me to the bounds of blushing, nobody has ever made me feel that way and nobody can, not Ron not fucking Prince Charming.

My thoughts are distracted by a loud voice, 'Earth to Hermione' Ginny says stupidly waving her hands in front of my face. I have to admit as much stupid she looks doing that she looks very beautiful in her yellow sundress.

'Why are you so dressed?' I ask, eyeing the brown crumpled robe in her arms and the heels covering her feet.

She answers looking angry at me for some reason, 'I am going on a date with Michael Coroner and you're accompanying till Hogsmead, did you get an instant amnesia or were you not listening to me the whole time?'

I suddenly feel bad for obliviously ignoring my best friend, I say, 'whichever option that makes you feel better'

She rolls her eyes at me and says, 'anyways, you obviously aren't dressed right' she declares after looking at me despondently from head to toe.

I know where she is going with it: a makeover.

'_You_ are going to a date not me; I don't need to get dressed up'

Ginny smiles and says, 'There is nothing wrong with a women looking good all the time'

I scowl at her but still put my hands up in defeat because I know I won't ever win this argument.

'I am all yours,'

She beams up, 'That's my girl'

I add, 'Seriously, don't make me look like I had a fist fight with food colour and flour' and I am rewarded with a swat on my back.

After 15 minutes of Ginny applying strange but strawberry smelling make up products on my face I am finally allowed to see myself in the mirror.

I open my eyes and hesitantly I look myself in the mirror and I … I actually look nice: simple, decent and presentable. My cheeks are a bit flushed from the peach blush smeared on my face and the light mascara shines through my eyes adding more life to them. My hair is pulled up in a casual bun just how I love it.

I look over at Ginny, the satisfied grin playing on her mouth tells me that she is absolutely proud of her work.

I look at the mirror again and eye my beige colour tank top and black jeans. The toms that I bought myself in the summer cover my feet.

Ginny asks still grinning, 'what do you think?'

I decide to give her some gratification.

'It's actually quite nice'

Her stupid grin widens. I say irritated by her grin, 'Can you wipe that stupid grin off your face you look like you slept with a hanger in your mouth'

She shoots me a glare and continues, 'So, now that you look somewhat less geeky, let's go'

I am walking for 15 minutes and my feet are killing me. Ginny tries to converse with me about some shade of lipstick that would definitely look good on me, better than what she has applied to my lips now but my thoughts again trail up to him and I try to stop them but they betray me as always. I cannot help but wonder will he be there in Hogsmead, I know thinking that Malfoy will be at Hogsmead at the same day as I am seems utterly ridiculous but also kind of captivating. My subconscious scowls at me and reminds me that even if he will be there he would probably ignore me, my mind flashes me the image of yesterday, Draco grinning while I am being bullied by McGonagall, I completely shake the image from my brain, I again try to take some interest in Ginny's conversation still half thinking of him.

* * *

Draco's POV:

This was a crap idea, coming to Hogsmead with my so-called friends pretending to actually give a damn about their ridiculous problems. I am utterly bored and the only thing keeping from falling asleep is the thoughts of _her_.

A hand tugs my hair and I realise that my head is resting on Pansy's lap, even crappier idea. I almost snap her wrist from her gesture but I just push her hand not wanting to cause trouble.

My mind drifts to the memory of how Herm-Granger tugged my hair, it was barbaric but gentle, it was ruthless but caressing unlike Pansy's cold hand pulling my hair as if to rip them off from the scalp.

My eyes drift to the hills and I instantly regret resting on Pansy's lap as a familiar figure walk towards our direction. It's her, Merlin's beard. I don't want her to see me resting my head on Pansy's lap, well to be honest even I don't want to rest my head on her lap but my messed up brain just ridicules everything up.

I pray to god that she doesn't see me, although getting up from her lap would be more appropriate than praying if my ass wasn't that frozen at the moment.

As seconds pass by I begin to think if it's such a bad idea for her to see me like this I mean I do want to end things with her although we never had a thing. I m very well aware of the distance I should keep from her and the attitude I should show her which is rude, abhorrent and brusque so when next time Pansy begins with her torture on my hair again I don't stop her. I simply smile.

* * *

Hermione's POV:

I listen to Ginny as she recites the plan for the day for the gazillionth time it is still how it was when she first said it - I will leave her to for her date and then I'll go to Three Broomsticks and their I'll find Harry and Ron waiting for me, after one and a half hour or so Ginny will arrive at Three Broomsticks too and then we will decide based on Ginny's date that if we want to stay with the guys or head back to our dorms. There, I have it freaking memorised.

After finally convincing Ginny that I'll go to Three Broomsticks and not bail on her, Harry and Ron, I finally start my way for the Three Broomsticks.

As I get closer and closer to the Three Broomsticks I stupidly start to look around in a possibly fail attempt to find him and quite surprisingly I spot his platinum blond hair and even more surprisingly I find a set of long, stern fingers strangled in his perfect hair. The person blocking my view moves and ARE YOU FRIGGIN' KIDDING ME?

I recognize the face instantly; PANSY FUCKING PARKINSON, playing with his hair, curling it between her fingers, I remember how much he liked it when I did it, he probably is loving it now and the grin on his smug face confirms it too.

I am in for a live torture show of Pansy-not-seeming-to-keep-her-hands-to-herself for what feels like hours until when finally his eyes meet mine and the ridiculous smile shoves from his face. I want to stare back at him with raw and sheer rage and I do but the anger is divided into two parts one parts is for the asshole and the other is for me, the foolish me for believing him when he said that he liked me.

I know I should act out and slap him across his face and embarrass him in front of all his friends who treats him like God for hating me and my friends to remind them that he slept with me and he confessed that he liked me, a mudblood, but my anger doesn't take any angles or actions or any sort of execution like it always does with him, today it just plays itself in silence torturing and tormenting me of the grief that I feel. As I finally force my eyes off of them and look behind I realise that the little group of bullies is raiding on the bench beside the Three Broomsticks.

FUCKING GREAT

Now I have to get pass them, I know I can't give him the satisfaction of walking away and that's probably what he wants. If the bench was a little afar from the inn it would've been okay, I would've gone unnoticed but unfortunately the damn bench is just beside the inn. I finally build up some courage and start to walk hoping that the bitch won't notice me. My walk till the door was okay, no one calling me mudblood but as soon as I step my foot to enter I hear the shrill voice calling out,

'Hey mud blood, where are the blood traitors you call your friends'

I can hear giggles approaching from his little group, I walk away this time because I know if I walk over to her right now I'll rip her sodding head off from her body and I don't think anyone would agree that that is the best thing to do.

I step inside and search for Harry and Ron, I find them engaged in a conversation sitting at the table just beside the newsstand, I walk over to them hoping to forget the awful encounter outside.

They see me as I approach their table, I wave to them and they wave their hands back to me,

After I am greeted with two hellos I take a seat beside Harry, as I sit down he asks impatiently, 'where's Ginny, she said she might be joining us?'

I tell him, 'she's at on a date with Michael Coroner' as I tell him this information his face falls just a little bit but enough to make me see. I know that he likes her but Harry has never been the one to confide in on his feelings.

I feel bad for him and instantly add, 'but she said that she will join us later' but still the fallen face does not recover. I look over at Ron to find his mouth a little sour.

I ask him, 'why are you so down?

Ron answers pouting, 'it's like her fourth date this month and not with the same guy'

I feel the need to defend my friend, 'well then she is not going faster than you go with your chicken at dinner'

Ron scowls and changes the topic of the conversation, 'are we going to hold another DA meeting this month or not?' he asks Harry and me.

Harry says hesitantly, 'I don't think we should we my appointments with Dumbledore and the stuff with Malfoy' Shit. How does he know? Did he saw us at the Black Lake? Who did he tell? The colour on my face drowns.

I quickly ask, 'What stuff with Dra- Malfoy?'

Ron says rolling his eyes at Harry, 'Oh you know with Harry stalking him because he think he's a Death Eater' relief takes over me and I remind myself to not overthink everything. I think about our time together and surprisingly I can't remember looking at his arms, it was either covered or we were so engrossed with our _activities_ that I completely ignored the important things. I slap my brain and try to ignore the fact that I ruined the only chance of us confirming the possibilities of him being a Death Eater although I would never tell any of them that I slept with him.

They both argue over why he may or may not be a Death Eater and I am rewarded with a headache, the same conversation again and again and the same conclusion again and again makes me want to stand up from that seat and get out of this hell hole and bury myself in so many books which is way more interesting and useful than this.

I start shaking my head in exhaustion and stand up at my seat, 'Stop it both of you, you guys have been having the same argument since we have arrived at the school and I refuse to take a part in this non useful charades of yours. Harry, don't you get that this obsession of yours with him is making you more distant to us and making you more obnoxious day by day and your daft best friend supports with that too and I am just sick of it.' By the time I stops talking half of the inn is staring at me I had not realise that while my speech I had raised my voice, my cheeks turn to red and I turn around and walk out of the door but not out of embarrassment out of sheer anger and I think that my face showed it too.

Draco's POV:

Should I stay or should I go?

The question lingers over my head, I want to think that I am satisfied with my own decision but the guilt has been piercing my brain and heart since Pansy called her mud blood, why does she has to be a bitch all the time?

It took me all my strength to not grab Hermione's wrist and wrap my arms around her waist and apologize to her tell her that I'm a sick bastard and explain everything to her but then it would ruin everything, I mean the only reason I did it was to get the exact reaction that I got from her just fifteen minutes before but the thought that I won't be able to get a genuine smile from her or I won't be able to smell her hair makes my heart ache. I know that if I continue with Hermione it will end badly for both of us but I also think that she deserves an explanation but I don't know if I have the guts to face the witch after the look she gave me, it was anger interplayed with disgust, anger I can handle but disgust I don't know how to make that go away, so from here the question derives again,

Should I stay or should I go?

I know the right thing to do, to let her hate me and think that I used her but I don't think she deserves this and if for once in my life I get the privilege of getting a choice then I will surely entertain it and do the right thing, just explain to her and nothing else. Goddamn it when did I become so moral.

Hermione's POV:

It's been twenty minutes since I have entered the library and picked a book but my head doesn't seem to concentrate as I thought it would instead it keeps banging itself for being such a suck up. I mean literally how did I let myself believe Draco Malfoy actually felt attached to a human being beside himself? HOW? Me out of all the people should know better than that. I feel offended and quite surprised but the thing is that I shouldn't feel that, not with Draco Malfoy why should I care if he wants to rest his head on a leg which isn't mine I am just an innocent toy to him after all but I am not innocent and how dare he think of me that way?

As my thoughts continue to turn dark a cold hand rests on my shoulder and I instantly recognise it, I turn around and I am right, it is in fact Draco Malfoy.

* * *

A/N: The Dramione fluff is just 1 or 2 chapters away. Hope you liked it and if you did please review and share.

-MM

Stay alive, Stay a Potterhead


	3. Chapter 3 - Failed Attempts and Granger

**A/N: Here's the third chapter of the fic Paired, I know the fic is kind of a slow burn but its just how I like to write to make it more believable. Hope you like it and if you do please review it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to J.K. Rowling to whom it should.**

* * *

FAILED ATTEMPTS AND GRANGER

Draco's POV:

I'll talk to her. I take a firm decision and instantly shove Pansy's hand off my hair. As I stand up and start to leave, the whole group stares my behind and Pansy's voice fills my ears, 'Where are you going, Malfoy?'

'Away from you, Parkinson', I say rudely the rest of the group laughs while a scowl lodges on Pansy's face pretending to be angry but I know better than to take it seriously we all have gotten used to each others' snarky comments and remarks.

I turn away from her face again and start walking. As I continue walking I realize that I have no idea where she is, I saw her walking out of Three Broomsticks about 10 minutes so she isn't there. I look around ludicrously and list the places Hermione Granger is most likely to be in my mind and I have the answer almost immediately; the library. Any person in the whole school can guess that.

I smile at myself and start walking to the library.

Though I am almost sure that she's in the library I also look over the Great Hall and a couple of classrooms on my way.

I reach to the door of the library and my heart starts racing, I cross check my plan again, apologize and explain and then LEAVE, but as I think over the topics my mind threatens questions towards me, what will I explain? I would never tell her about anything related to my task but then what _is_ there to explain? I quickly start to have doubts about my decision.

No

I have to do this, I will tell her any shit but I will not leave her hanging, I have to do this, I repeat this again and again in my head while searching for a set of brown hairs and a pretty face buried in a book and after a minute or so I do find it but surprisingly the face is not buried in a book, it gazes out of the window staring at probably nothing.

I slowly walk over to her hoping that she would listen and notice the footsteps nearing her and turn around herself but apparently her staring is rather remote and me being a jerk takes advantage of that and enjoys her mesmerizing eyes gazing out of the window, what could she be staring at, is it the lined up daisies? or is it the yellow marigolds leaning towards the Sun? or is she actually staring? or is she just thinking while turning her head around the side like I do at the Malfoy Manor most of the night? Is she thinking about me? I hope so, NO I do not and I should not but does she want to think of me? probably not after what she saw. The pain in my heart again begins to mark its presence.

Fuck.

I have to end this conversation with myself because it's leading me to nowhere other than self misery. I am standing here for what seems like about 3-4 minutes and she hasn't even shown the slightest clue of my presence.

I place my hands on her left shoulder and her head promptly turns back, her eyes giving me a look which makes me doubt my plan even more.

'What are you doing here Malfoy?' she says, her face brandishing anger and disgust.

'I-I ca-came here to ex-explain' Why I the hell am I stuttering? I have never stuttered in my whole goddamn life and the first time it happens is when I want to be confident about a thing. Oh, Satan just loves me and God does not.

'Explain what?' she says her glaring eyes fixated on my face, her eyes not seeming to ebb the anger behind them.

'It's more of an apology' I say lamely but at least I didn't stutter this time.

'Well then apology for what? To be honest I'm a little confused which thing to forgive you for, there is a lot variety' she says, Wow she is catty and prepared; I'm going to have one hell of a time.

I want to snap back but I control my 'Malfoy composure' and play a little naïve, if I know how to.

'Look I'm sorry, I know that I shouldn't have rested my head on Pansy's lap after what happened and what I said the other day.' I say to her, not knowing what to say other than that.

'If you think I believed _you_ then you got another thing coming, Malfoy, but I am astonished by hearing an apology from you never considered it would happen' She says and turns her head to pretend to read.

'Okay first of all, can you please shut it and hear me out for a second, I know you deserve to feel the anger you're feeling but please I beg you to just let me explain and begging doesn't happen a lot with me' I say.

'Really, should I feel pleasured?' she snaps back.

'Look I just want to give you an explanation, just let me do that and I won't bother you anymore'

'Well the idea of not getting bothered by you is tempting so shoot' she says

She turns her gaze at me and looks me in the eyes and waits for words to spill out my mouth, after few awkward minutes of her freezing stare I finally begin,

'So, now I know I shouldn't have rested my head on Pansy's lap even after I knew how you felt about me-' but I cut off by her.

'What the hell do you mean by how I felt about you'? She says and the pain in my heart magnifies again.

'Look you can say that I didn't mean the words that I said, hell you can even say that I used you for sex but you cannot say that you didn't feel shit for me, okay, I know that you did and you cannot just lie about how you feel' I say to her, damn, my nerves are starting to lose its edge.

She gets up from the chair and says 'I AM saying that you didn't mean the words you said, I AM saying that you used me for sex and I AM saying that I don't feel anything for a git like you because you don't tell me what to say or what to feel and I ain't lying Malfoy.'

I know it's not true, I know she is lying, because I can see her breaking down with every word she says, I know it's not true because of the way she looked me in the eyes when she said those words and made me feel like I'm worth something, worth _someone,_ it cannot be a lie, cannot just be friggin' acting, a lace of anger wells up inside me at her relentless denial.

'You know what, Granger, lie all you want, but we both know the truth, just expected a little honesty from a Gryffindork like you' I say to her, I don't think I really want to back down right now.

'Sure, sure, bring the prejudices into it, that's very mature,' she says rolling her at eyes me even though it's not the right moment to.

'Don't change the subject, Granger, you have feelings for me, JUST ADMIT IT.'

'NO I DON'T' she pushes

'YES YOU DO' I say

'NO I DO-' I cut her off.

'YES YOU DO' I say, I will never stop until you admit it, Ganger.

'NO-'

'YES YOU DO AND JUST ADMIT, NO ONE IS GOING TO JUDGE YOU, NO ONE IS BECAUSE NO ONE IS EVER GOING TO KNOW SHIT'

I wait for her to say 'No I don't again' but she doesn't utter one single word, she stares at me and I notice a tear falling from her eyes and my heart forces me to comfort her but my brain and instincts think otherwise.

'You know what I do admit it , I did feel something, but you ruined it' she whispers through the tears and starts to walk away, swatting her shoulder on mine on her way out.

* * *

Hermione's POV:

Why did I give in? WHY THE HELL DID I GIVE IN?

He didn't deserve it, he didn't fucking deserve it, why does he always has to win? WHY?

I look around expecting to see him chasing behind me, to see him mock me with his wide smirk for admitting that I have feelings for the ferret but surprisingly I don't find him.

I want to punch Malfoy in the face for making me feel like complete shit, for making _me_ admit it but not admitting it _himself,_ but the idea of his perfect face marred just makes my heart ache but then he'd pull off the ruined face too.

OH MY GOD WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME, I shouldn't be thinking about how he can pull off almost everything I should be thinking about how to make my upcoming punch more excruciating.

He always gets to me; that's the problem; he always gets to me, with his perfect self and wit and gorgeous hair and those remote grey eyes, but the next time he won't, he fucking won't because there isn't going to be a next time, I am never talking to or taking notice to Draco Malfoy every again.

As I set my foot in the girl's dormitory my eyes are pleasured with the delight of seeing a pissed Ginny, both her hands placed on her waist, and eyes prepared to make the perfect expression of anger and irritation.

I say nothing and change my school clothes, I wait for her to say something but she doesn't, she just watches me change clothes I decide to say something to make it a bit less intense, 'it's creepy to watch someone change their clothes, you know'

She snaps, 'and it's annoying to ditch someone even when they constantly begged you not to'

I look at her and say 'look I just had a snapping contest with Draco Malfoy so I'm not in the mood for another one'

Ginny makes a disgusted face, 'Eww, Draco Malfoy, don't even want to know' oh believe me you don't, Ginny.

'But still... 'She continues, 'why did you ditch me?'

'I did go to The Three Broomsticks but I just left soon'

'Do you care to spill why?' she says, her eyes fixed on me.

'I was just fed up of Harry and Ron fighting over the same thing every fucking time of the day, Draco Malfoy and Death Eater, that's what they always want to talk about, so I left' I say to her not realizing again that I have raised my voice a bit.

Ginny sighed and said, 'Calm down, okay? I know what you're talking about'

I sighed and changed the subject, 'Well, how was your date? Assuming that you haven't mentioned till now it wasn't …., how was it that you said that you wanted it to be, Oh yeah, dreamy, so was it _dreamy_?'

Ginny scowled, 'Oh shut it, it was boring and different colours of awful, Ravenclaws really don't know the meaning of an interesting conversation, he started talking about how skele-grow was invented, I mean who talks about that on a friggin' date, you would have loved it though, he also said something about the Dragon you were ranting about two or three days ago.'

'Sounds like an interesting date to me' it did feel interesting, I do want to know how skele-grow was invented.

'Well, do you want me to set you up with him' she asked, well she genuinely asked.

'Hell no' considering what's going on I don't want to be set up with anybody.

'But why?' she whines, 'you said that he seems interesting'

'I said that the conversation was interesting not Michael Coroner, I mean, I also find Hippogriffs interesting, you don't set me up with them' I try to make a point but the aghast set on Ginny's face tells me differently .

She says looking horror struck, 'OH MY GOD, MY FRIEND, MY_ BEST_ FRIEND WANTS TO DATE A HIPPOGRIFF'

I whine, 'That's not the point Ginny, the point is I don't want to be set up with anybody, not humans and definitely not Hippogriffs.' I try to make a point again, God I hope she understands it this time.

'Got it, but don't bring the sodding Hippogriffs into this, gives me the fucking creeps.' She scowls while saying.

'I don't know the problem with Hippogriffs, they are cute and fascinating creatures to study about, sure they might come off as a little grumpy, but that's only when you treat them disrespectfully like Malfoy…' I stop at his name, the feeling which strikes me while hearing his name come out of my mouth is something I can't seem to describe, I just know that it isn't doing me any good.

Ginny distracts me from my thoughts, 'Alright, alright, alright, don't need to know more _dateable _things about fucking Hippogriffs I have to sleep, oh wait, that might help me sleep you can continue.'

She laughs hysterically and I throw a pillow at her, after half an hour or so we both go to bed, Ginny's loud snores come till my bed but I know that that isn't what's keeping me up tonight.

* * *

Draco's POV:

_I do admit it, I did feel something _

Idon't know how I feel

I don't know how I feel but I do know how I should.

I should feel nothing for her, I should feel sickened that Hermione Granger said that she had feelings for me, I should feel like I used to in the old days; totally and utterly disgusted but disgusted or sickened is not the word that pops in my brain when I see her and what makes it worse is that she admit it however I made her do it but she fucking admit and not having her just seems so feeble now.

_But you ruined it_

Now this is the part that brakes me, this is the part that shatters my heart into a million little pieces, this is the part which makes me want to bang my head against the wall and not stop until she makes me.

I think of the way her eyes twitched in regret when she said this and in instant my brain flashes the scene like a movie, her eyes swollen from the tears, the tears that I caused, shit, I shouldn't have pushed it this far, I shouldn't have rested my head on fucking Pansy's lap, well speaking of things I shouldn't have done I shouldn't have slept with her in the first goddamn place, I throw my book away in anger.

The book lands on the other side of the arm chair opposite mine and the hand resting on the arm chair picks it up, Blaise, just what I need.

'I hope that anger was of your failure for not fixing the Cabinet' he said, I can see the glint of annoyance in his eyes, never in the six months that I told him about the task had he mentioned anything about it, why is he doing it now, I have no freaking idea.

'Don't make me regret telling you about the task, Blaise' I say

'Don't act like you had someone else to tell about it, I'm just concerned, I know I may have not said anything about it but this task shit scares me till hell because we both know that the task is not really to ensure your allegiance or your loyalty, Draco' he says, the annoyance that lodged his eyes few seconds ago has now turned into actual concern.

I look at him and tell him the truth, 'I'm nowhere near completing the task, Blaise'

The truth is I haven't even tried.

He sighs and he just stares at me after a few seconds he says, 'I just came back from the owlery, it's the fifth letter that Narcissa has send me in the past 2 and a half weeks'

My god this women has no limits, 'why is my mother writing letters to you' I ask him.

I can see him getting more annoyed by the second as he says, 'because you haven't been answering to the ones she sent you, she keeps asking for updates on the task in the letters and you know I am not the one who lies'

I put my head in my hands, I don't want to look at him, I don't want to look at anybody because it just feels like anybody I'm meeting my eyes with is accusing me of murdering my family, though I know Blaise would never think that I just feel like it, 'Blaise, we both know this task is going one way either I complete it or not and she has got to understand that too.'

'Hoping for yours and your son's life is not a crime, I know things are hard but you have got to keep your shit together because not keeping it together isn't helping too, Draco, so, promise me, either way you'll complete the task or at least try' his voice stern.

'I'll try' I say to him.

'Promise me that you will' he says still refusing to drop the damn determination in his eyes.

'I promise' I promise him.

His eyes finally relaxes and he goes to bed without uttering one single word, the determination in him while making me promise was plausible but I know that he was scared, scared shitless, everybody knows that war is close but very few know that the war has already started and Blaise was one of those people.

* * *

Hermione's POV:

How many times I take a bite of the French toast or the eggs they taste the same; plane and bland, the only taste that I seem to remember is of his harsh kisses smothering my lips.

I need a distraction but in the past two days not food not even books have worked for me.

I don't even know what my next class is I just know that it's the same with Ginny so I just follow her, I can't seem to follow when I, Hermione Granger started forgetting time tables.

As we walk I realize from our passage that we're going to transfiguration class room.

We both enter the class and all the eyes present in the class darts to us including Prof. McGongall.

she says sardonically, 'Ms. Granger Ms, Weasley 4 minutes late to the class, did I forget to send you an owl about the timing, Oh I'm so sorry'.

Her face turns stern again once the whole classroom stops sniggering, '5 points from Gryffindor'

She continues, 'take your seat, you shall seat with your partners today'

Partners? What in the name is- OH MY GOD, HOW DID I FORGET? HOW THE HELL DID I FORGET?

I am suppose to stay away from him for my own good and here I am partners with him in a project, again, I just hope that it doesn't end the way it did last time.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it and if you did then please review it.**

-MM

Stay alive, Stay a Potterhead


	4. Chapter 4 : Something Unexpected

**A/N: I know, I know, that updating after this long should probably be considered a crime and no excuse in the goddamn world can make up for it so, I'm not gonna give you any excuses and I am just going to apologize for doing something this awful, so SORRRYYYYYYYYYY. My updating is very irregular and I'm not gonna lie and say from now on it will be regular because it is not going to be but I can say that someday, somehow I will complete this story. Hope you like this chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter nor that I want to 'cuz it already belongs to whom it should: J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

Chapter: 4 - Something Unexpected

* * *

Draco's POV:

I lay on the grass of the black lake waiting for her to say something but the expression lingering in her eyes suggests that she too is expecting the same from me.

The first hour of the class was filled with sneaky-but-not-so-awkward glances from both our sides, I could see the mixture of doubt and uncomfort in her while she sat with me through the whole class and I can see it now.

I finally say to her, 'You don't have to stay Granger, if you want to you can leave'

She answers after a few minutes, 'Of course I'm staying you may not care about the project but I do'

The hint of doubt and uncomfort is still there, she's nervous and I hate it. I don't want her to be nervous around me although she has the appropriate reasons to but still I want her to feel comfortable not intimidated or aghast by my presence.

Honestly, I feel guilty, I feel guilty for every troubled feeling that she inhabits even the one's which are not because of me, I wait for her to do something, to say something or to even actually discuss the damned project but she doesn't and I take advantage of that,

'look I'm sorry Herm-Granger, I've never been good at apologies and I'm guessing you know that already by what happened yesterday, I was suppose to apologize yesterday not harass you of your feelings, when I came from the Library I wasn't feeling angry or sad or as I expected instead I was overshadowed by guilt because whatever reason it was for I shouldn't have pushed it too far, shouldn't have pushed you to admit something you maybe weren't even feeling'

She finally looks into my eyes and says, 'what do you want to apologize for, Malfoy? You did as you wanted, use me and throw me away.'

Her hateful words make my heart shudder and more vulnerable by the seconds, she should be feeling the brokenness I feel when she says those words but her eyes tell otherwise, it's either that she's back to hating me or she's a really good actor, well whatever that it I'm not at the verge of giving up.

'I'll be honest, when we slept together for the second time I knew it wasn't a fucking one night stand, I knew that it was something real but our lives Granger, our lives are so different, and we'd both be kidding each other if we thought that this would work, like practically work, if someone even gets the hint of us being together I'm dead Granger, I'm literally dead ,so, I did the first thing which came into my mind that would mar even a little bit what we had and-'

'And it worked' she completed for me.

'yes, it did'

She retorts, 'if it worked then why are you trying to make it all better again or shall I say ruin it again?'

'I never said I wanted to get back together or become whatever we were before, I just didn't want you to hate me, I didn't want you to think that I used you, I didn't want you to think that I'd lower down that much, I just wanted everything to be good between us'

She looks away from me and then looks at me again, the disgust and uncomfort lingering on her side is gone but the coarseness still remains in her eyes, she asks, 'why do you think you'll literally die if you-'

I'm kind of surprised with the question.

'I think you already know why' I meant the words but the tone didn't come out that charming, shit, she's probably more angry with me now than she was before, why do I have to ruin everything, shit, I look over to her expecting angry eyes and furrowed brows but instead I find her sighing and tired.

'I'm sorry, I didn't want it to come out that harsh' I say and she sighs again.

* * *

Hermione's POV:

He has done a lot of shit in the past days that I can be mad about but the only thing that I seem to be mad about right now is that he said that we won't work, it's been bugging me since the moment he said it.

I know in which context he said it I've not turned that thick to neglect those things but if he says that he likes me how can he care about those other things.

'It's not fair to say that us wouldn't work, Malfoy, I know why you said it, I'm not a fucking dolt, but if you care so much about the other shit how can you even say that you like me, the problem is not that nobody believes in us its that we ourselves don't'

Out of all the things I'd imagine to say this wasn't one of them.

* * *

Draco's Pov:

Out of all the things I imagined her to say this wasn't one of them.

I thought that she was back to hating me, back to thinking that I was a self loving prejudiced bastard, this is one of those moments when she wipes me off the floor and I have no idea about what to say but the only difference this time is that I don't care about what I say or how I say it, I just fucking say stuff

'You're right, the problem is not what's going around us and if you really believe in what you just said to me then you'll agree to go on a date to me'

Her eyes are widened in shock and I can see that she did not think that I'd actually ask her out quite honestly I myself do not know why the fuck did I just ask Hermione Granger on a date.

She says, 'Are you asking me out on an actual date?'

'I am, Granger' I say with full confidence

She looks confused, 'I don't get it, one minute you're afraid that what'll happen if the world will know and another minute you're asking me out on a date'

'Asking you out on a date doesn't mean exposure, you don't have to tell anyone and neither do I' She nods her head while saying, 'Okay, when and where?'

'Meet me at Hogsmead day after tomorrow, you set the time'

'I'll meet you at Hogsmead day after tomorrow, at 10 at night since we do not want anybody knowing'

'Perfect, yeah and also bring Potter's cloak and that map' she looks a bit startled as she hears me say this.

'How do you know about the cloak and the map?' she says still looking a bit shocked

'You guys have been stalking me for ever it doesn't take a genius to know how.'

Her expression turn from shock to amaze and I grin wide as usual.

* * *

Hermione's POV:

Returning from Black Lake alone was calming since I got time to think the things through, it may include the fact that this time I didn't mentally slap myself from thinking of him, I freely gave my mind the privilege of admiring his cocky smirk, his messy platinum blond hair, and to fixate on the fact that I am going on a date with Draco Malfoy.

An actual date with Draco Malfoy, what would that be like? I am soon going to know.

I look around to find it dark, its evening. Shit. We spent the entire afternoon together. It's my sixth and one of the most important year and I have missed most of my important classes, what has happened to me.

It's probably dinner after 1 hour so maybe I should do my Arthimancy homework till then, or pretend to while my thoughts wonder to different places, yeah I'll do just that.

As I step forward my foot to climb on the stairs they move and turn around and I'm left behind. Remotely exhausted I let out a frustrated sigh and wait for the stairs to come at their original position.

While I wait for the stairs to come back I hear footsteps approaching my side, I follow the sound of the footsteps and walk slowly to find out who they are, I cannot see entirely but I am able to see enough to say that there are two people and one of them is Blaise Zabini with one of his Slytherin friend, I take some steps further to find out that the Slytherin friend is none other than Draco Malfoy.

Why would any Slytherin be on the upstairs corridor?

By the looks of it they seem to be in a heated conversation I try to listen to them but the only sound I can hear is there approaching footsteps which seem impossible since I am not that afar, how is that even possible? The answer comes to my mind almost instantaneously; it's the spell that Harry told me about from the freaky book, Muffliato, yes.

What would they want to talk about that they wouldn't want people to hear about? Zabini isn't from a Death Eater family but he is one of the closest friends I've seen of Draco, maybe I should ask Draco himself. No, We haven't even been on an actual date or anything right now and I can't let him think that I spy on him given that two of my best friends are already very keen on the subject of spying, but still I can't ask him that.

I try hard and finally look away and see that the stairs are again in their place, I climb on the stairs and look around again to see the two boys but they were nowhere to be seen its like they were not present there at the first place, that is very weird.

I take my mind off from the subject and climb off the stairs and go to the Gryffindor common room, unsurprisingly no one beside me is present in the vast room. I head to my dormitory and take my books out of the backpack assembling them on the table and settle myself on the bench.

I go through the past weeks and I realize I still haven't seen the death eater mark on Draco, come to think of it I haven't even looked for it, whenever I'm around him I forget that it even exists but I know that there is a possibility, I mean Harry and Ron's discussion may have been growing redundant but that doesn't mean that there isn't any rationality to it.

I think hard to remember that maybe I did see it but I'm met with disappointment.

Maybe he's concealed it, if only its possible to conceal a Death Eater Mark.

What if he really is a Death Eater? if he is so did I just say yes to going out with someone boring a Death Mark?

Suddenly something else pops in my brain, the inaudible but seemingly heated conversation between two boys of Slytherin, one of them having possibility of being a Death Eater and who I can say I've agreed to go out with and another one who I know nothing about other than him being the best friend of a probable Death Eater who I'm partial dating but both probably having the possibility of going invisible.

Ughhhhhh, when will I stop meddling in other people's business, but my last two brain cells nag me into believing that maybe this conversation was everyone's business, I mean I haven't ever seen anyone let alone a fellow Slytherin himself indulge in an argument with Draco Malfoy 'cuz doesn't his father hears about everything? Maybe Zabini and Draco are much closer than I thought.

And suddenly I have to know, I have to know what the conversation was about, I have to know whether Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater because if he is why would he want to go out with me or anyone belonging to the other side?

I think of a plan and almost instantly one comes to my brain.

I run to Harry's dorm and find what I need just below his bed on the bedside table with the freaky potions book, the Marauder's Map, I open it and look for the name Draco Malfoy and find it heading towards the Prefect's bathroom, I hadn't realized that he was a prefect too, great this is exactly what I planned.

The second thing I require seems to itself peep at me from Harry's huge suitcase, The invisibility cloak

* * *

Draco's POV:

Two times in two days.

Two fucking times I have been tackled by Blaise regarding the task.

I know the only reason Blaise is asking me about this is because like my mother too he is yet to accept the inevitability of our family, The Malfoy's death.

Honestly, he knows me better than I know him but I know enough to say that Blaise isn't the one to tell on his feelings, to let people in, to open up that's why he operates in plans, asking to reply to my mum's letters so that he himself catches the wind of what actually is going on with the task: classic Zabini plan but pestering me relentlessly about the unspeakable task let alone in a school corridor now that's what gets me worried that maybe Blaise hopes too much.

As if being badgered by my own best friend wasn't enough that now Severus is running behind me too only in this case the verb "tackling" became more literal as he pushed me through the cold walls of his dungeons and recited to me in a million different ways how I am a complete fuck-up and was never the one to have been given the task, as if I don't agree, added to this he said that I'm gonna die no matter what, again, as if I don't agree, but then what he said completely shocked me to my deepest core which was that he's gonna be the one to help me complete the task moreover if I fail to do the task he's gonna do it himself not that he'd volunteered or something but was forced to take an unbreakable vow witnessed by my aunt.

I have to credit myself for the commendable acting, even after being appalled I managed to give him the Draco Malfoy sneer and say to him my most practiced and perfected soliloquy, I recited him the privilege and honor I felt at again being trusted by the Dark Lord even after the unsatisfying events of last year and the gratitude I felt for the mercy bequeathed upon our family by him and I also added that I'd rather not take help of a Half-Blood who is in love with a dead women who gave birth to the boy destined to kill the almighty lord, with that he pushed me again through the wall and left.

Not that I meant any of that shit and also not that I thought that Severus actually believed me. Over the years we've sort of understood the real meaning of the things we say, to decipher the meaning of our sentences and words. He understood that what I'd meant to say is that I've given up.

I didn't give up that easily, actually come to think I haven't actually given up on the task, the only thing I've given up on is the possibility of having a choice and also life. I know that even after somehow completing the task me and my family's death is assured or even if the Dark Lord doesn't kill us right away he'll torture us enough to beg for it or find ways like this to kill us by not actually killing us,

'Cuz disappoint the Dark Lord once suffer the entire life, of course only if you've left a life.

Like I said I haven't actually given up on the task so, till now I've managed to find the Room of Requirements with the Vanishing Cabinet which I kind of already had last year when the Weasley twins stuck Montague in it, I just have no idea what to do with it, its damaged plethorically and no matter what I do nothing seems to work, I know I can probably find some books on it in the library but with the possibility of being watched by the portraits and ghosts, its not worth the risk.

Ahhhh, when will this shit get over?

God I need a shower. Yes, that's what I need.

I get from my chair and grab some clothes and a towel and head to the Prefect's Bathroom, the only thing good about being a Prefect is the bathroom not that I got anything to complain about I haven't been to any Prefect meetings or patrolled or even wore that Prefect bath laying somewhere in my suitcase, so far no one's complained so I don't give a damn, I'm sure the other Prefect is handling it well, not that I care.

I head out of the dormitory and remember that Granger is a Prefect too, isn't she? maybe in future coming here with her wasn't a bad idea, an unplanned smirks lodges over my face as I start to imagine the smooth curves of her body making contact with the flowing water while in grasp of my rough hands.

Damn I really do need a shower.

The date with Granger needs to be perfect and planned.

As I think of the possible places I can take her in hogsmead and things we can do a beam of unwelcome thoughts trespass into my brain, what if she sees the mark? or worse somehow hears about the task? surely this all will be ruined, I know for a fact that Potter is obsessed over my mark and adamant on proving that I have it.

Till now I've been pretty careful about my mark in public, I hide it with that Muggle makeup stuff but the mark usually shows automatically itself after four or five hours so, that's not enough.

If she sees the mark not only is she gonna not go on a date with me, she's gonna alarm the entire fucking Wizarding World and make the inevitable death of my family much closer, faster and dreaded.

Holy shit I need to so something about this Mark.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked the chapter, if you did please share and give out reviews and again SORRRRRYYYYYYYYY.**


	5. Annoyance,Confusion and Optimism

A/N: I know its been months and I know how much annoying it is when someone doesn't update a fic but I've learned that grass in NOT greener on the side.

Forgive me if you can but just please read and review if you wanna

* * *

Chapter - 5

* * *

As she stood before the doors of the Prefects Bathroom she analysed the plan that she had prepared and started to have cold feet.

She thought to herself_, I am going to a date with this guy shouldn't I not stalk him in an invisibility cloak whilst he is having a bath?_

She almost regrets planning this but that itch in her brain repelled her from aborting her plan.

She did have more important jobs to fulfil other than going on a date with him, saving the world from the domination of Voldemort seems more significant than trying to be civil with a possible death eater.

She took a deep breath, took a mental note for not questioning her plan again and slightly pushed the grand doors of the Prefects bathroom. She tried not to catch his attention and slowly let herself in through the partially open doors.

Without even looking she could smell him, the intermix of green apples, spearmint, and the ocean was quite inescapable. She tried to ignore the urge to drop her plan and just inhale his angelic essence if that isn't creepy.

She searched for him in the bathtub and the epitome of perfection in front of her caught her off guard and she almost moaned from his mere sight. There is no denying that he was a sight to behold as he lay in the warmth of the water obviously asleep and oblivious to everything around him. Hermione had seen him in pleasure and satisfaction but not in solace, the sight of him so relaxed and not tense almost made her forget what she came for.

Suddenly something changed in his expressions and she was brought down to Earth again. In a matter of seconds, his expression took a leap from relaxed to utter malice. Eyebrows frowned in frustration and hands on his ears as if to stop from hearing something, with a jolt that almost made Hermione drop the cloak he woke, shoulders erect, hands on the surface of the tub and panting heavily as if he just had a chat with Morganna, he elicit a groan from the back of his throat and brought his hands up for his head to rest on them.

With the looks of it, he looked familiar with this situation, as if he had expected it to happen.

A few minutes passed as she began to recover from whatever the hell that was, he, on the other hand, had not moved since, head in his hands and hair sprawling over his fingernails. As she again begins to think about retracting this plan due to this unexpected turn of events his hands grabbed a bunch of his hair and pushed them back and the edge of a black line scarring his arms caught Hermione's attention and she knew that what she had feared was a reality. And she ran.

* * *

Draco groaned again as he began to get out of the warm water at the realization of the possibility that apart from a murderer this job may turn him also into an insomniac.

It had been months since he had had a good night's sleep or even what you call sleep. He got out of the tub and reached for the towel to dry his hair and thought maybe it wasn't that much of a bad idea to attempt to fix the cabinet at nights when he couldn't sleep, it was better than imagining a variety of ways that the Dark Lord might attempt to kill him.

He had promised Blaise that he would try to fix the damn cabinet so there was no point in delaying it. He made a mental list of the ways he was yet to try to fix the cabinet, very few were left since there weren't many to begin with but he knew that these few which were left would prove effective as they were nothing but black magic and these were the few he was avoiding to use because he could imagine the effects of these dark spells on him if the other spells which were not that dark were able to knock him unconscious for hours.

He had to admit it the magic was getting in his head, nightmares wasn't the word for it, nightmares weren't supposed to be constant voices in your head telling you to seal the deal and fix the damn cabinet. He knew it would get over once he fixed the cabinet.

Another point to add to his pro side of list for fixing the cabinet, having a head not full of foreign voices would go just before saving the life of your family. Great.

With a frustrated sigh, he pushed the doors of the Prefects bathroom and stepped out.

* * *

As Draco stepped in the Slytherin common room he was met with the sight of a familiar figure, someone who he didn't think he would be seeing so soon, Theodore Nott.

'Hey, mate' he said with a scowl on his face, if Draco hadn't spent half his childhood with Theo, he would've definitely not recognised the man standing in front of him.

Lip swollen and cut, bruised forehead, black eyes screaming the I-haven't-slept-in-a-million-years look, a look he was familiar with when he looked in the mirror, he avoided the mirror mostly now, but anyways Theo Nott looked the perfect mixture of hungover and tortured. Again, something he was familiar with.

'What are you doing here?' he said

'No pleasantries, Drake? Where are your manners?' If Theo was even a bit fazed, he didn't show it while Draco was the exact opposite

'Would you like me to serve you tea, would you like some biscuits, eh?' Draco sneered.

'That would be nice actually minus the biscuits I prefer scotch with my tea, vodka would work too'

'I swear Nott one more stupid banter out of your mouth and I'lll-

'Ughhhh, cut it, both of you, and why don't you just save us the time and tell us what you're doing here, Theo and seriously, why the hell do I have to be the responsible in this little tittle-tattle of yours' out of nowhere Blaise decided to make his presence known

'I swear Blaise, why do you have to be so sneaky, its kind of freaky and "tittle-tattle" seriously? did you secretly start spending time with Granger? Theo said with annoyance.

Draco snorted at the irony while Blaise scowled and said, 'you've just made your presence more less significant to me' with that being sat he sat himself on the armchair beside the fireplace.

'and you think I'm farting rainbows? Besides unlike you both I'm a man of hidden talents so you can enjoy my company while I'm still alive'

Both of them snorted and Draco said, 'I don't think any of our _hidden talents_ are worth showing unless you count changing the subject very delicately in that I have to admit, you're the king, Theo'

There was a silence for a few seconds, Theo waited for any of his mates to break but seeing there determined faces he called in defeat.

He threw his hands up in the air and exhausted fell on the couch, 'Ughh whatever, I mean I don't even know what you want to know, I'm just your usual Theo' hell if he couldn't stop them from throwing unwanted questions in his face he could at least annoy them.

Blaise rolled his eyes at him and Draco snapped and said, 'Well why don't you start with telling us what the hell are you doing here'

'I'm here on the direct orders of The Dark Lord'

'Aren't you supposed to be in a mission with your mother'

'yeah, about that, she dead'

'Wait, what, how is she dead' Draco said being completely baffled.

'Dead as in not breathing, the departure of the mortal soul, the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism, as in her official arrival in hell and Satan's departure from the said destination' Theo explained his friend with a smile on a face.

'well aren't you the sentimental one' Blaise said amused and Theo shot glares that could murder Merlin, Draco whereas was losing his patience and finally snapped, 'Okay now I know Blaise has already said but I repeat, Cut. The. Crap. you are kidding yourself if you think that we cannot see through you, Theo, I will not get caught up in your games so, for Merlin's sake and all of ours, save us all the time and spill.

Theo stared at his best mate and finally let out a sigh, Draco smirked and said, 'Now, dear mate, let us start from the beginning, what the _hell_ happened?

'Well it all started at my marking ceremony three weeks ago, my father floo-called me and asked me to come at the abode of pain and torture, Malfoy Manor, no offense to you Draco'

'none taken, mate'

He continued, 'anyways, so I headed to the Manor and damn was it a slow process with your Aunt Bella telling me how she felt completed with the mark and voldy-moldy looking at her like if-you-were-any-less-insane-and-more-hot-I'd-shag-you, but after hours and hours of them babbling he got to the point, he positioned his wand at my hand and started doing his…..well whatever it is he does, it's hard to focus when you're reminiscing about the spent years of your life and judging yourself for the dumb choices you could've not made, but anyways, before he could start doing the actual marking process, my emotionally-driven mother decided to go parentally stable at that particular moment and yelled, like literally screamed stop, like she actually opened her mouth in front of The Dark Lord, managed to form words and projected them in a pitch that can be called a howl, like she _actually_–

'yeah we got it she screamed her lungs off, move on'

'rude of you to interrupt me but moving on, after sixteen years of being an insolent, back stabbing bitch, she protested in front of the Dark Lord for me, as much as I believe there was a selfish ulterior motive, let's just believe I have an emotionally stable mother and make me feel happy. Anyways she fell to the floor and begin crying, father looked unfazed as always, The Dark Lord was not pleased, he gestured Bellatrix and she took the cue, spat on mother's face dragged her to the dungeons, the Lord looked at me and I took the cue and recited the speech Draco and I prepared after Potter came out the Tri-Wizard tournament screaming, he's back, I told him the honour I felt for him and the disdain for my mother, he didn't look impressed but he didn't have his murder face on so that was win, without a word the dude snatched my hand, re-positioned his wand and started the process again, the rest part of my marking's fuzzy because you just simply cannot stay conscious while being subjected to _that_, only thing I remember hearing is my mother's screams from the dungeons' Theo let out a heavy breath of exhaustion.

'well what happened then?' Blaise asked, Draco was just too shock to say anything.

'Let a man take a breath, Zabini, anyways, I woke up in the same room, but the day didn't seem the same, only my father and the Dark Lord were present, the Dark Lord told me plans were changed I was to go to Hogwarts and keep an eye on Draco Malfoy, he told me that I was supposed to earn his trust and loyalty as my mother wasn't so much keen on it, he made it clear he didn't trust me or father one bit anymore' Theo finished and what followed was dead silence.

After a few minutes of deep internal thoughts from everybody's side Draco said breaking the silence, 'Well, I don't know whether to be happy that you don't have to go to the murder mission anymore or sad that you're still gonna be stuck with this bloody mark'

'Go with happy, I'm trying to be an optimistic person' Theo retorted looking as if he nothing in the world was wrong, as if he did NOT just get the Mark of the Dark Lord, did NOT got his loyalty questioned, did NOT get his mother killed by a fanatical maniac.

He continued, 'well enough about me, tell me Draco what is this task that I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on for you'

Unlike Theo Draco didn't play games to avoid answering he just decided to dive into the story, 'well mate, if you really wanna know then this is going to be a long night of storytelling' and it was.

* * *

Hermione Granger was never the one who got confused or ever had been the one to be wrong about something but one person was enough to make both of these things possible.

As she thought back to her night she felt guilt and humiliation surge into her body, how could she be so naïve to ignore the fact that Draco Malfoy was the son of a loyal Death Eater, how could she just ignore his two best friend's ranting about a fact which was true and on top be annoyed with it and more importantly how could she let him get to her mind and let him cloud her judgement so badly, she felt as if she's betrayed the order and yet even after all this she could not forget how her ears tingled when he whispered sweet nothings into them when he was fucking her into oblivion.

She felt guilt for not hating Draco with the same fervour that Harry and Ron and every normal person did. How is it that you could go on five years hating someone and in less than a month it just flickers away, just poof and gone, even when you know that not hating that someone is dangerous.

She was not the one for romance novels or any classics but as she thought of these things she remembered something she had read in a book once, "Heaven forbid, that would be the greatest misfortune of all- to find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate, do not wish me such an evil"

The only thing different was that they would never get a happy ending like in the couple in the book but then, did she even want a happy ending with a man who had the mentality exactly opposite to her who believed in hating and murdering people like herself, she cringed at the thought of Draco murdering someone.

She was confused about everything in her life but the one thing she thought she was definitely sure about was that she was never going on a bloody date with Draco Malfoy.

* * *

On Friday, the day after Hermione took the resolution to not go on a date with Draco, arrived the letter inviting her to the date with Draco.

_Granger,_

_I changed the plans we can go to the Rooms of Requirement, much safer I guess, I'm sure you know where it is, the time's the same and so is the day._

_Be prepared to be dazzled by a Malfoy, Granger _

_D.M._

She completed reading the letter and eyed the Slytherin table and found Draco Malfoy staring at her with a sinuous smirk that could melt the heart of millions of witches and Hermione wasn't the witch who was immune to his charms, she mentally slapped herself when her cheeks turned red and looked away from him stuffing herself with scrambled eggs and sausages.

The night of her great epiphany she had also decided that she would go up to him before him and tell him that her and him were over and never tell him the reason for it, but taking this why-am-i-always-blushing-with-him attitude in account and her feelings for the particular blonde she conceded to herself if she went up to him she'd probably end up over him or under him. Ughhhh so much for being a horny teenager.

She decided she would just not go to the date and completely forgot that the boy she was thinking of standing up had feelings too.

* * *

The Day of the Date (Saturday):

15 mins late

_Fifteen minutes late to a date is completely acceptable._

30 mins late

_She's just messing with me._

45 mins late

_Should I be worried?_

I hour late

1 hour has been passed since Hermione was supposed to be on a date with Draco Malfoy and Draco was starting to feel a little edgy, surely, she hadn't stood him up, if she didn't want to go, she would've told him, right? RIGHT?

Deciding to take a leaf from Theo's book he stayed optimistic, it was better than feeling hurt.

Maybe she just got lost and didn't find the room.

* * *

Monday:

Today was the day Draco Malfoy was going to find out if he was stood up for the first time in the sixteen years of his life or if Hermione Granger turned stupid for a day and got lost in the quest of finding the Room of Requirement.

So what if he had been trying to approach her all Sunday and the present day's morning and has been doomed unsuccessful, so what if he looked at her and she turned away every time, so what if she ran away whenever he entered the Great Hall or the corridor. She could just be sore at something that had happened which did not involve him in ANY way possible.

Damn, he was getting good at this optimism thing.

As he entered the Transfiguration feeling fully optimistic, he began to walk towards his and Hermione's shared table where she was already sitting, before he could seat himself Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and began, 'Mr. Malfoy, there has been a slight change of pairs due to some uncertain circumstances, Ms. Granger has been re-paired with Mr. Pucey and you with Ms. Padma Patil'

_Uncertain circumstances, my ass_, Draco thought to himself, he felt the sudden urge to scoff. So, Hermione_ had_ stood him up and on top of that got herself re-paired with some one who was not him, for god-knows-what reason Hermione had stood him up and Draco could not help feeling a bit hurt just for a second his guard slipped down but he quickly recovered and what did he know if not to mask his feelings, he looked away from McGonagall and without even sparing a glance at Hermione turned away from the desk and whispered menacingly, 'Glad we've got things cleared, Granger'

With that he walked away and did not look at Hermione the rest of the day.

In all this there was a lesson to learn for Draco.

First, optimism wasn't his forte

And second, hope was a FUCKle thing.

* * *

Hermione could not help but feel a little uneasy at the expression that Draco Malfoy had while leaving her bench, needless to say it was a completely Malfoy worthy look.

And one thing she could not take her mind off was the hurtful expression that took over his face for just a second before he collected himself again.

She was always bad with feelings, her own and of people around her, oblivious that sometimes her actions had emotional consequences.

This time too she had miscalculated.

But wasn't she supposed to be happy that she would finally get him off her back, be relieved to be rid of him?

What she hadn't realised was that she wasn't yet ready to lose him.

And what she couldn't cope with was that she had hurt him.

_Ughh I hate feelings,_ Hermione was annoyed, with everyone, she was annoyed at herself for feeling bad for hurting Malfoy, she was annoyed that Malfoy had the audacity to feel hurt, she was annoyed at her stupid best friends who apparently have seemed to gain better judgement than her, she was annoyed at Voldemort for existing.

Life just has to suck every time, doesn't it.

Anyways but Hermione wasn't the one to mope around, she decided she would just ignore her feelings and move on with her life as if nothing happened.

Oh, Ignorance was blissful.

What Hermione hadn't known and was about to find out is that feelings aren't just left to be ignored they are meant to be endowed in.

* * *

A/N: So how was it?

take mercy and please review ;)


End file.
